


Of Handkerchieves and Lack Thereof

by jimmytiberius



Series: Letters to Ada [4]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Kidfic, Young Aragorn (Estel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-03
Updated: 2007-02-03
Packaged: 2017-12-18 08:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/877592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimmytiberius/pseuds/jimmytiberius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Estel has a cold. Since elves don't tend to get colds, Elrond has to figure out what to do about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Handkerchieves and Lack Thereof

“Ada, I don’t feel so well.”

“What? Oh, Valar, Estel. You don’t look… quite ordinary.”

“I don’t feel quite ordinary.”

“Come here, child, let me see you. …Why is your nose bright red?”

“Because I have been blowing it, Ada.”

“Why have you been blowing it?”

“Because it is all stuffy, Ada.”

“All stuffy?”

“Yes, Ada.”

“What do you mean by ‘all stuffy’, Estel?”

“I mean that it is hard to breathe through it because it is all clogged up with yellow gooey stuff.”

“Estel?”

“Yes, Ada?”

“That is disgusting.”

“I’m sorry. …It is true, though.”

“Well, what do you propose we do about it?”

“I don’t know. That is why I came to you.”

“What makes you think I will know?”

“You are a wise and powerful Elf-lord. You know everything.”

“Clearly. Except, of course, how to de-‘all stuffy’-ify my son’s nose.”

“Clearly.”

“Estel?”

“Yes, Ada?”

“Your voice doesn’t sound quite ordinary, either.”

“No, Ada, I suppose it doesn’t.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, my throat hurts.”

“Does it?”

“Yes, it does.”

“Why does it hurt?”

“I do not know, Ada. That is why I came to you. I thought you were a wise and powerful Elf-lord who knew everything.”

“I am a wise and powerful Elf-lord who knows everything.”

“So why do you not know what to do about my nose and throat?”

“…Sometimes knowledge takes a while, Estel.”

“Oh. …Has it been a while yet, Ada?”

“Hush, child. I’m trying to think.”

“Oh. …Are you done yet?”

“Why don’t you go and lie down, Estel, and I’ll consult a book? This is highly irregular.”

“What is?”

“Well, child, I believe you have what is know as a ‘cold’.”

“Yes, Ada. I know.”

“But there is one problem, Estel.”

“What is that, Ada?”

“Well, elves don’t get colds.”

“Yes, I know. Why is that a problem? I would think it would be a good thing.”

“Well, it is, only because elves don't get colds, we don't tend to be prepared for when our human children – Estel, what is wrong?”

“I need to blow my nose, Ada.”

“So use your handkerchief.”

“My handkerchief has already been used. I fear that it would not absorb any more.”

“Well, use mine – Oh, dear. I seem to have lost mine.”

“What am I to do?”

“Well, you will just have to go without blowing your nose.”

“But I need to!”

“But you cannot, therefore you will not. …Estel, what are you doing? Estel! Do not blow your nose in my curtains!”

“I am sorry, Ada, but I thought you would approve more of my using your curtains than of my using your robes.”

“…Yes, that is true. Oh, Estel, what am I going to do with you?”

“Send me to Valinor?”

“I don’t think so, child. Valinor wouldn’t know what hit it.”

“That is true, Ada. …Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“I need to blow my nose again.”

“Use – Oh, Valar, that is disgusting.”

“I’b sorry, Ada… I wod’t do id aged…”

“Well, what’s done is done. My curtains will never recover… You might as well devote them to this use.”

“Thagks, Ada.”

“Estel?”

“Yes, Ada?”

“I am thinking that perhaps you should not be near my office, where such valuable things as ancient tapestries are housed.”

“Yes, thad is drue.”

“Estel?”

“Yes, Ada?”

“What in Middle-earth are you talking about?”

“I’b sorry, Ada, bud by dose is so stuffy thad – ”

“Oh, I see. So before, when I thought you said ‘thad is drue’, you meant ‘that is true’. Am I right?”

“Yes, Ada.”

“All right. Then we will proceed to take you to your bedroom – Oh, hello, Glorfindel. You’ve found us in a bit of a predicament, I’m afraid, and we were just leaving. …Goodness, but that is disgusting. Glorfindel? Glorfindel, where are you going?”

“I thigk he is ruddig away frob be, Ada.”

“Well, to look at you, I can see why. Come, let’s get you to your bedroom.”

“…Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“By throad hurds.”

“What? Oh, your throat hurts. Well, here we are. Just lie down a moment, I’ll see if I can find a remedy for all of this.”

“Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“Whad cad I blow by dose od id here?”

“How about your hair?”

“Thad is disgustig, Ada.”

“Well, I don’t believe it is long enough, anyway. I will see if I can find something.”

“How aboud the spare blagked?”

“Blagked? Oh, blanket. Well, I think that might be a bit hard to wash.”

“True.

"…That cough sounds awful.”

“By throad hurds…”

“I’ll go find something for you to drink that will make it feel better.”

“Thagk you, Ada. …Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“Cad you sday here?”

“But you will not get a remedy that way, Estel.”

“But I like you, Ada. You’re fuddy.”

“Fuddy. Well, I suppose I’ve been called worse.”

“Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“You shouldd’t make fud of be. I ab sick.”

“Yes, I know, Estel. So do my curtains.”

“…Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“I ab goig to sleep dow.”

“Well, normally I would not have an objection to that… Manwё knows I spend enough time trying to get you to do so… But is it quite necessary for your very drippy nose to be buried in my lap along with the rest of your face? These are quite nice robes, you know.”

“Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“I caddod take by dose off of by face.”

“No, I suppose you cannot.”

“Ada?”

“Yes, Estel?”

“I ab goig to sleep dow.”

“All right. Go to sleep.”


End file.
